Category Archives: Training

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I’m notoriously bad for not taking my easy runs seriously. I like to be competitive and push myself as far as I can go but the reality is, easy runs are extremely important in your training for recovery. I use to slow down one run a week by going running with friends. This helped me to talk during my runs and know that I am running at a comfortable pace instead of constantly changing my pace without even noticing. I also used to get into my own head and wonder what other people think if I am running slow but I got over that because I’m running for me and not for other people. They don’t know how far I’m running, what I’m training for and why my pace has slowed down. Running is one serious mental game and I got over what other people think – I think.

I’ve recently taken my runs back to the treadmill. This way I can set my easy run pace and just go with it. Disclaimer: I get scared of running by myself in the dark and colder weather. It was hard at first to run at a slower pace on the treadmill but then I got into a groove and was able to take my mind off the pace and run for a solid 45 minutes. It’s actually a really great feeling to jump off the treadmill and think, “I’ve got so much more in me!” This easy pace is also helping with my speed runs. I feel like I can pick up the pace for half a mile and then slow it back down to catch my breath. I’m going to test out other ways to keep my mind busy during easy run days. Maybe I will start to listen to a podcast, audiobook, learn a new language or just simply run slow.

I was going to start this as Week 1 of training because I have a new goal on my mind but, it’s not the start. Over the last two years, my running has shifted focused and it’s time to bring it back to where it all began. I started running again just for the fun of it. I paced friends and got them to their first finish line, running their longest distances and I’m ready to run for myself again.

I’m continuing my running journey and it’s week 44 of 2017 and I have goals to crush. Keeping a training journal is important to see where you started, how you followed your plan, how you’re feeling and how you can push yourself to go further. That’s what this blog is about for me and it always has been since day one when I decided to run my first road race ever – the Inaugural Disney Wine and Disney Half Marathon in 2010. Every Monday, I will reflect on my training week to see where I’m stacking up and to keep myself honest with my training. I will also post about how I’m fuelling, recovering, what I’m listening to and other musings I come across on my journey.

I’m starting from the bottom, easing myself into the the mileage and seeing where this journey takes me. And there is no better motivation than my favourite marathoner, Shalane Flanagan winning the NYC marathon yesterday.

Here’s what week 44 looked like for me:

Monday – Yoga

It’s amazing how you can be extremely Gumby one day and never feel like you have to work to be flexible and then you become solely a runner and realize the rumours are true. Runner’s aren’t great at stretching. So I’ve decided I must go to yoga at least once a week. It felt good to stretch, open my hip flexors and start feeling like I could get back to my old flexible self.

Tuesday – Speed Run (3.17 miles)

This was done treadmill style! Thanks to Runner’s World, I found some great treadmill speed workouts to add into my training. Here’s the Faster, Faster workout:

1 set: 400m @ easy run pace

400m @ 15K (tempo) pace

400m @ 5K race pace

Do 4 sets

I added in an extra 400m at easy pace and then walked for 400m.

Wednesday – REST

Thursday – REST
Friday – 4 miles (9:08/mile average)

This was my long run for the week on the treadmill. I wasn’t kidding – I’m really starting from the beginning and getting back to basics. It felt really good to slowly ramp up the mileage this week and this will be my long run for a while so that my body can get use to running again.

It feels good to go back and reflect on where your training started, where you started to slip, how you picked yourself back up again and where you are going.

January and February started pretty solid. I was finding my way back into a regular training program and building my cardio back up. Then March happened, I slipped and headed out to Mexico for #springbreak. In April, the weather was not as beautiful as Mexico and I didn’t want to head out for runs in the cool weather and lived in slack city. May is here. The weather is picking up and I have a spring in my step. The goal was to pick my running back up and pace a friend through the Sporting Life 10K. I ended up falling back in love with the sport – recap to come!

So now, with my running spark back, I’m looking to the next 20 weeks of training and I’m excited about it. The most humbling part is that I am not as fast as I use to be. Interval runs are going to be my new best friend, long runs, easy runs, weight training and stretching are all coming back. In any training plan, it’s important to have short term and long term goals. My short term is running the Toronto Waterfront 10K and my long term goal is to run a sub 1:50 half-marathon. It gives me something to work towards and I will continue to push myself to be a #goalgetter.

It’s also important to be honest with yourself and look at how much you have run in 2017 – even if it hurts a little to see the real numbers. The only way to get better is to beat who you were yesterday. I like to keep a monthly calendar so I can see my daily progress. It feels good to check off when you’ve crushed a workout and remind yourself that you are killing it.

It’s always hard to feel like you are ‘starting over’ with your running plan. After my half marathon in June, I kept running and keeping the distance but as the summer went on, I backed off my training plan. My weekends filled with birthdays, bachelorettes, weddings and recovery from all the activities and of course, work. I needed the long weekend to get back on track and reboot myself. I cleaned out my closets, deleted unnecessary documents from my computer and meal prepped soups made with fresh vegetables from the market. It was a weekend of cleansing.

I started searching for a running plan that was going to suit my hectic schedule and it hurt the most when I realised I can count the amount of miles I run on average per week on two hands. Two hands.

Running use to be my top priority and now it is has been put on the back burner. I looked back on the plans that I made myself over the last year and figured out why they weren’t working for me. When I do something, I’m all in. Both my work schedule and running schedule can’t be overwhelming. It just doesn’t work to run yourself down and run the town. I was putting too much on myself and it wasn’t realistic. I made it easy to skip runs and workouts by putting too much on my plate. One skipped workout would turn into another. This time I’m going for attainable goals. I’m running to run again. My PR’s will happen in the Spring and for now, I’m getting back to my happy pace. Back to the days when I would run without looking at my pace the entire time and just run to get out there and clear my mind. I’m planning on 3-4 runs a week and 1 strength workout a week. It’s easy and attainable.
It’s hard to admit that you let your training slip and you have to start over but it’s also important to remember that you need to have balance.